Stained Glass 2: Inanity
by Ayame Harushino
Summary: Look through the Glass...Do you see the colorful world out there, wishing you were here? Naruto..." As if! Those people are insane! ...Chapter 5: The aftermath of Neji and Shikamaru's confrontation. Tsunade lashes out. Kotetsu, run!
1. Falter, Shadow Manipulator!

**::Author's note::**

Hey, everyone! It's been some time since _**Stained Glass**_, hasn't it? My inspiration hasn't dropped by lately, but I've managed to type out some chapters, and hopefully they wouldn't be so bad. x( ' w ' )x I'll keep my fingers crossed.

To those who've emailed me saying _**Stained Glass **_was confusing…get your fingers ready; this fic is most likely going to be even more mixed up.

Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto _or any of its wonderful (and beautiful) characters, nor do I make any kind of profit out of fanfiction. (So please don't sue me!)

* * *

_**S t a i n e d G l a s s : **_

**Whiter than Snow, Darker than Black**

_Jagged, Colorful, Wicked…when shattered. _

_Handle it with care; the glass might just slip through your fingers…and cut…_

**"::-o…O…o-::"**

**Chapter 1: 'Falter, Shadow Manipulator!'**

Leaves were hurled to the air in a frenzied dance as five figures zoomed through the lush forest, their hair pushed back by the wind.

_Tup._

A gloved hand stretched out

_Tup tup tup tup. _

The setting sun barely made it through the thick canopy of leaves, but the few rays that did reflected themselves on Hatake Kakashi's masked face as the Copy Ninja stood from a crouching position to face his teammates.

"We rest here."

As if on cue, a protest came out.

"Kakashi-sensei, it's only been two days since we left from Konoha—"

"Exactly."

"But I can still go for a few more hours—"

"It's for the good of the mission."

"But Sensei…!"

The rest of the cell sighed. This was probably why the Hokage didn't want to send—

"Sakura. Listen."

Kakashi's voice was stern.

"A few meters ahead is Ta no Kuni—Rice Field Country. It is more than dangerous to proceed without getting at least a few hours of rest. If we go in there and not be at our best, it is suicide. Sakura…"

His one visible eye glared at the kunoichi.

"Don't let your emotions cloud your reason. You know better than that, unlike Naruto. And look what happened to him…"

A thoughtful pause.

"Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Sensei," replied Sakura submissively.

After the disagreement between who were former master and pupil, everyone in the team—Kakashi, Sakura, Neji, Shikamaru, and Rock Lee—watched through the leaves as the setting sun splashed blazing colors of fire across the gray sky, before hiding behind the ever so distant horizon, stealing away the fiery light it provided, only for that light to be replaced by the stolen radiance of the full moon.

Their mission:

Capture the S-class criminal Uchiha Sasuke.

Dead or Alive.

**…--oOo--…**

"Ah! Kazekage-sama!"

"Welcome back, Gaara-sama!"

"(I missed you!)"

"(No, I missed you more!)"

Baki shut the door to the Kazekage's office as Matsuri and a member of the Advisory Council bowed in greeting. "(Forget them—I missed you the most, Gaara! How about a warm, welcoming hug?)"

"…(Do you want to die, Baki?)"

Baki dropped his open arms and cleared his throat.

"Matsuri, don't you have an appointment with the medic-nin?"

As subtle as ever, Baki had changed the subject.

Matsuri's head tilted to the side. "…Huh?"

The council elder took a good look at Baki's face. The cloth effectively covered the sweat forming on his brow. "Baki-san, are you ill?"

Gaara frowned. "…(Mentally, yes.)"

"…Eheheheh…" Baki smiled awkwardly at Gaara before turning to glower at Matsuri.

"Matsuri…don't you remember…? (We can do this in one way or another…)"

The girl could only act upon the frightening jounin's hint. One glare from that creep can give you nightmares for a week.

"…Ah…! Appointment…right… (Freak.)"

"(I heard that.)"

"See you later, Gaara-sama!"

The door closed.

The council elder tried not to smack Baki's head.

"Er…"

Turning back to Gaara, Baki returned to his normally grave composure.

"How did the treaty discussion with the Hoshikage go?"

His voice sounded gruffer than normal.

The elder coughed.

Sabaku no Gaara nodded (and displayed a disgusted scowl that would make Naruto proud) as he sat in his desk. Every time he went away for more than a day, Baki would always (turn into a bumbling idiot) act oddly.

Of course, when it came to Baki, he didn't really care.

"It went very smoothly for me. (I'm not very sure about the other guy, though.)"

"(You threatened him, didn't you?) We're very glad to hear it."

"(I did not. The sand did.) Did the village encounter any major problems while I was away?"

The Kazekage averted Baki's accusing stare and pretended to scribble on a scroll.

"(Denial, denial. Do you remember what you did to the Hoshikage?) Everything was fine, Kazekage-sama."

Gaara sighed mentally, wondering how Baki, of all things, could always, _always_ find an excuse to scold (nag) him about one thing or another.

Being Kazekage was troublesome.

While the jounin was (chiding him about respect and civility) speaking about weapon making, Godaime Kazekage absentmindedly recalled the time when he told (grumbled to) (his future brother-in-law) Nara about the troublesome jounin, and the Konoha chuunin's answer was:

"_Baki should be a housewife."_

Even though he unambiguously knew there was something wrong with Nara's reply, the only thing he could clearly remember was the words 'Baki' and 'housewife' in the same sentence.

Or at least, that's what Gaara thought.

(Shikamaru's actual response had the words 'Baldy' and 'housewife' in the same sentence with the phrases 'get laid' and 'the sooner the better'.)

…**--oOo--…**

_Hakkeshou_ _Kaiten!_

Craters wounded the open field as bodies were launched to the sky by a rapidly rotating body of chakra.

Neji panted as he stroke another defensive stance.

The rest of the team tried to catch their breaths after sending their enemies halfway to the grave.

To the utmost right, Shikamaru analyzed the situation.

After Kakashi and Sakura's disagreement, a group of considerably powerful, mutated creatures had emerged from the darkness and assaulted them.

The team had dealt with the situation, not knowing that the Shadow Manipulator's mind had been permanently scarred with a gash so deep…

_Byakugan!_

"Everyone, brace yourselves, there's another horde of them approaching."

Rock Lee stroke a fighting pose as Sakura grunted an affirmative.

Kakashi frowned. "They knew we were coming."

…**--oOo--…**

"Gaara!"

"…What."

"Were you listening to me?"

"No."

Baki resisted the urge to cry.

"We were talking about (the Hoshikage) the reconstruction plans."

"(Hoshikage, who?) What about the reconstruction plans?"

"(The one whose eyes you threatened to gouge out, that's who.) They are being carried out as we speak, milord."

"(He was making eyes at Temari. Nara would mope.) That's it? Good."

"(The man was _blind_, you idiot!)"

_Bam! _

If Kankurou hadn't burst into the room (and knocked the other council elder unconscious with the door as he did so), Baki would've been killed by Gaara's terror-to-the-bones glare.

"Gaara! You're back! (Oh, I missed you so!)"

Gaara's eye twitched.

He never got used to the fact that everybody caught a Kazekage-fetish whenever he went away on business.

"What is it, Kankurou?"

"What kind of greeting was that? (Don't you love me anymore, Gaara? After we spent all that brotherly time on the flowery fields?)"

Baki raised an eyebrow at the face-painted jounin.

He didn't know that Gaara and Kankurou's so-called 'brotherly time' was when Kankurou entered (broke down) Gaara's bedroom (door in the middle of the night), (proclaimed) discussed (something) about brotherhood effectively waking up the whole sleeping building (and earned an earful of much-deserved curses), and (dragged) held hands with Gaara outside in the dreamy (freezing) desert wind (clothed only with their very, very thin and nightshirts), all the while rambling about (very, very random subjects) very, very sophisticated matters.

One fact to consider when taking this in was that Kankurou was a (downright lunatic) bit mentally unstable at that time, having been released from the hospital (and Haruno Sakura's heavily-dosed prescriptions) just a few hours ago…

Ah yes, and Gaara was asleep the whole time.

…**--oOo--…**

_Konoha Daisenpuu!_

Bones shattered.

_Hakkeshou Dai Kaiten!_

Heavily damaged bodies were thrust away.

_Shaannarou!_

The earth collapsed.

_Sennen Goroshi!_

Pained screams echoed…and faded.

Shikamaru watched from a good distance of fifty meters as his teammates clashed with their opponents. They were capable of handling the foe, and Kakashi had asked him, their strategist, to stand aside.

As he observed the situation, Shikamaru shuddered in revulsion of their enemies' appearance and actions, trying hard not to look away in disgust.

Every one of them were mutated in some way, some grew inhuman scales and claws and tails and fangs, some with rusty metal sloppily implanted inside their bodies to act as armor, others had green acid revoltingly eating away their flesh as it dripped from their long tongues, many with the body and mentality of mindless animals, never caring how reckless they were as long as they attacked with the intention to _kill._

Bloodlust hang over the air so thickly that Shikamaru had to resist vomiting.

It all looked so horribly sickening, so horribly revolting…

So horribly _wrong._

"At this rate…"

In all of his fifteen years as a shinobi, he had seen his own share of stomach-turning images, but watching blood splash in the air as mentally deranged people so hysterically clawed and tore all the while shrieking from pain in the countless gashes on their hideously disfigured forms…

Repulsion seized his body.

_Bleu-ack!_

His neck spun just in time as vomit splattered to his side.

"_At this rate…the mission…"_

After knocking down the last assailant, Sakura gasped.

"Shikamaru—!"

The Nara descendant looked up to see what on earth could cast such a large shadow over him…

Fear froze him like ice.

"…_Would fail."_

"Run!"

Shikamaru faltered.

…**--oOo--…**

"What is it you want, Kankurou? (You should stop associating with idiots, as you are obviously turning into one, if you haven't been one already…)"

Kankurou wobbled to a corner and hugged his knees.

"_Kuroaki, Karasu…Where did I go wrong? All I want him to do is love me…"_

Baki scoffed. "Fool."

"…_After all, he is my little brother…"_

Kankurou's mumbles buzzed around the room as he unburdened his heart to his unresponsive puppets.

Baki sneered at Kankurou's back. "(We all know that Yondaime Kazekage-sama had thrown—I mean accidentally dropped Gaara from a cliff when he was a baby, but) your father must've—"

While Baki verbally abused the puppet-user, Gaara decided that it would be nice (and fun) to force a dose of Baki's own medicine down the jounin's throat. "As I was saying…(You should stop associating with idiots, as you are obviously turning into one, if you haven't been one already…)"

The council elder, who just came-to, observed that Baki's merciless verbal abuse, Gaara's cold comments, and Kankurou's senseless mutterings echoing in the same room at the same time could make a person (with normal hearing) scream and run out insane in hmm, about ten seconds.

"—dropped you from the roof—"

"(From now on, stay away from Baki)."

"—when you were…a…"

Baki froze as Gaara's words finally penetrated his dense skull, his pride (not to mention his male ego) now damaged with a dent.

"You…(really think I'm unwise?)"

"(No, of course not. I never thought you unwise.)"

The jounin cleared his throat, embarrassed (his head swelling like a certain self-detonating artist).

"(Then—ahem—what do you think about me?)"

Giddy and drunk on self-importance, Baki almost grinned.

"(I think you're a ludicrously stupid imbecile.)"

Baki gasped.

"Gaara…you…(don't love me…?)"

"(No, I don't.)"

Baki's lower lip quivered.

"You…(eye shadow…wearing…_freak…_!)"

"…(Ouch.)"

…**--oOo--…**

"You scrawny."

A gigantic, manic monster with a sickly-blue colored body loomed above Shikamaru, green, acidic saliva dripping from a thick, stuck out whip of a tongue and jagged, oversized fangs. Splintered bones jutted out of its snake-like form, with fresh black liquid dripping down their length…

Cold sweat trickled down a disturbingly terrified face.

"But head look yummy!"

Shikamaru's knees collapsed.

Forty-six meters away, Kakashi's heart skipped a beat.

_A mutated face grinned in twisted glee._

Thirty-two meters away, Lee gulped.

"_Scrawny wouldn't run. Scrawny is smart. Scrawny I eat."_

Twenty-seven meters away, Sakura held her breath.

_A clawed hand reached out to grasp a petrified body._

Seventeen meters away, Neji disappeared.

"You idiot."

**"::-o…O…o-::"**

* * *

Confusing, isn't it? (Yeah, I think so too.) Especially that last act. 

(Apologies to everyone.)

Thanks for reading all the way! Reviews will be highly appreciated, so if you feel like it, go ahead…press that little blue button on the corner…

Constructive criticisms are welcome. (I need all the help I could get, after all.)

_**::Aya::**_

**_Up Next:_**

Kankurou's existence makes Gaara think--Oh what's this? Why is Baki hiding behind a potted cactus? (Do they even have cacti in Japan?)

_("Baki, run for your life!")_

**_'Why the Sand Had Not Progressed'_**


	2. Why The Sand Had Not Progressed

**::Author's Note::**

Hey again! Here's the second chapter, and there will be some, ahem, Shikamaru…(I wouldn't say _bashing)_ teasing. Those who read _**Stained Glass, **_the crazy fanfic that caused the existence of this even crazier fanfic, would know what I mean.

(Don't forget to read _**Stained Glass**_!)

Thanks (as well as hugs) go out to my reviewers:

**serenity uchiha — **Baki-san is the jounin in charge of Gaara, Temari, and Kankurou in the Chuunin Examinations, and he's the guy who was worrying the whole time when Gaara was kidnapped and Kankurou was poisoned by Sasori. (Insignificant—ahem!) Cute, ain't he? (Acting like Gaara and Kankurou's mother and all…) I'm happy you liked their little banter. (Yep, it even happens to Kazekage-sama.) And thanks for not getting confused, lol. Your review was very encouraging, thank you! And um, about what happens to Shika-kun…read on!

**Sasuke Uchiha – **Well, Sasuke-san, to make things clear, this fic takes place sometime in Shippuuden, after Dei-chan has captured Kazekage-sama and Akatsuki extracted Ichibi from him, so I believe he would be able to sleep now. I'm probably wrong, though, lol, so I apologize for the confusion. Thanks for reviewing!

**K – **I'm glad you liked it. There isn't as much humor as it was with _**Stained Glass, **_so thank you for taking your time to review!

Hope you enjoy!

**( TT o TT )** — (**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto_. (Go ahead, rub it in.) :sniffle:)

* * *

_**S t a i n e d G l a s s :** _

**Whiter than Snow, Darker than Black**

_Jagged, Colorful, Wicked…when shattered. Handle it with care; the glass might just slip through your fingers…and cut…_

**"::-o…O…o-::"**

**Chapter 2: 'Why the Sand Had Not Progressed'**

_Hakke Kuushou!_

The monster's bloody figure splintered the tree Shikamaru was slumped against on impact. The Nara descendant watched in horror as the snake-like monster wheezed and gasped for breath, blood gurgling in his mouth.

The chuunin was too appalled to notice the Hyuuga jounin in front of him, seething with rage.

The monster's head drooped.

"You idiot!"

_Smack!_

Shikamaru's head snapped to the side, surprised at the fist that hit him.

The chuunin's pride was not the only thing that Neji shattered…

…He also shattered his fear and knocked him back to reality.

Shikamaru blinked a few times before noticing the blood dripping down his mouth.

The next thing he saw were blank eyes glaring at him.

"You have no right to call yourself a shinobi!"

Neji's grip tightened on Shikamaru's collar, his hands trembling in fury.

"Do you realize that you almost got yourself killed? _Killed_?! Don't decide those things on your own! Naruto may have, but he was a fool and you're not!"

Shikamaru's eyes widened as he finally grasped on what had happened.

He rather would've died than have to face this shame.

He had been careless…He had just stood there, frozen in fear, waiting for someone to give him salvation, not even trying to fight the fear that came over him.

He had never seen Neji so livid.

_Naruto…_

If he had followed Naruto's example and _died_…

People depended on him. Lee. Sakura. Kakashi.

Neji.

Chouji.

Temari.

Kurenai…and…

"_When your child is born, I will protect it…that's why I have to grow into a cool adult…like…"_

_Asuma…_

Shikamaru didn't want to die.

…**--oOo--…**

"…_I'm happy to have been blessed with a little brother, no matter how evil he is…"_

"(Muscle-bound buffoon.)"

"(Schizo.)"

"(Brute.)"

Kankurou's eccentric mumbling, Gaara's name-calling, and Baki's heckling carried on for a few more minutes before the council elder shrieked in madness, kicked down the door, and ran out of the room, screaming, wailing, and crying.

"_They're crazy! Crazy they are, the three of them! Somebody kill me! Stab me in the chest! Shoot me with a gun! Kill me nooowww!!!"_

"_Old man Kishimoto's at it again!_

"_Get the straightjacket!"_

"_Call animal control!"_

Upon hearing the ruckus outside, Gaara's, Kankurou's, and Baki's mouths immediately stopped spouting insults at each other.

Only to gang up on the unfortunate council elder.

"What a freak."

"Loser."

"Weirdo."

…Look who's talking.

…**--oOo--…**

"N-Neji…"

_Tup tup tup._

Kakashi placed a hand on the Hyuuga's shaking shoulders.

"Neji."

Neji's grasp loosened.

"Forgive me, Kakashi-san. I don't know what came over me…"

Lee tore his eyes away from the corpse beside Shikamaru.

"Are you alright, Shikamaru-kun?"

Shikamaru looked away, ashamed.

"Yeah. I'm sorry."

He didn't want to see the disappointment in Kakashi's eye.

…**--oOo--…**

Gaara sighed for the third time.

"Do you mind telling me _why_…"

His hand ran over his hair, trying not to pull at his blood-red spikes in annoyance.

"…You (were ever born?) are here in my office, bothering to death every single person within a five meter radius, Kankurou?" he hissed.

Kankurou tapped a finger on his chin, looking very deep in thought…

"I…"

…Before laughing sheepishly.

"Eheheheh…forget…?"

"(Ugh…!)" Baki failed to stop his eyes from rolling.

Gaara cover his eyes with his hands, muttering something about Shukaku, Kankurou, and Sabaku Sousou.

"_...Must've done something really evil to deserve to be punished with a… _(—I should've killed him while I could use Shukaku as an excuse—) _…puppet-obsessed dolt of an older brother _come here, Kankurou-niichan, dear…"

Baki already hid behind a potted cactus for cover.

"Uh…no…thank you?"

_Sssshhhh…_

Kankurou slowly inched towards the door, away from the sand that slowly slithered towards him…

"Why not, my darling brother? I only wanted to—(_personally wrap my fingers around your pretty little neck and asphyxiate you 'til your eyes pop out!_)—look into your lovely brown eyes…"

Behind the cactus, Baki's stifled voice peeped out.

"You really are a schizo."

If plants could talk, the cactus would already be screaming from Gaara's fiery glare of daggers.

"Oh Baki…"

_Sssshhhh…_

"I want to see your beautiful eyes, too."

Say your prayers, Baki.

"Baki, run for it!"

…**--oOo--…**

The crackling of a mighty fire echoed in through the dark forest.

The five-man cell huddled close the flames for warmth, trying not to shiver from the icy bite of the night breeze.

Sakura patched up the last of the injuries, that being Neji's.

Rock Lee rest beside the medic-nin.

Shikamaru lay on his back with his arms under his head, gazing on the sparkling stars.

Kakashi leaned against a tree, deep in thought.

"Everyone."

The Copy Ninja's calm voice pierced through the thick air of silence like a newly forged blade.

"In this mission, just like in any other, you risk your lives. Considering the number of the enemies we encountered, and their strength…I'm afraid to say that the success rate of this mission…"

Shikamaru closed his eyes, already having the success rate predicted.

"…Is one percent to none."

The air suddenly seemed to freeze.

A wave of silence washed over Rock Lee, anxiety in his features and unease in his gestures.

"K-Kakashi-sensei…"

Rock Lee rose from beside Sakura.

"How can that be…? This mission—"

"Is S-ranked to begin with," Kakashi interrupted the taijutsu specialist.

Rock Lee's face fell drastically.

"But we chose to take it, didn't we?" Neji replied. He looked over to Shikamaru with slanted eyes. "Most of us, anyway…"

"Not my fault the desk was unoccupied."

Sakura smirked in an almost evil way.

"The way I hear it you used ninjutsu to kick out the two people who were already hiding there…"

"You have no proof."

"Kotetsu-san and Izumo-san personally gave account—While I was healing the bruises that you gave them."

"I didn't give them those bruises. They fell down."

Neji scoffed haughtily. "Of course he didn't, Sakura. The desk did it."

"Shut up."

"So he says."

Kakashi cleared his throat. "All right, you two, stop picking on Shikamaru. It's not his fault (he's born that way)."

Neji and Sakura snickered, while Rock Lee remained oddly indifferent.

That's strange, Neji and Sakura thought, Lee always backed them up when it came to bullying Shikamaru…

And why is he twiddling with his fingers?

…**--oOo--…**

Bam!

"Temari! Temari-neechaaaannn!!!"

Kankurou bawled and tripped over his own foot, and clung to Temari's leg like a terrified child.

Temari kicked him.

"What's new?"

"It's Gaara! Gaara tried to kill us!"

"Like I said, what's new?"

"Whaahhh, Nee-chan's mean!"

…**--oOo--…**

The late Yondaime Kazekage turned over in his grave in shame.

He then wondered why he had been cursed with a puppet-obsessed dolt and a schizophrenic freak for sons.

Temari was _almost_ normal, but he didn't really want a girl-child.

He thanked the heavens he was dead.

But then again…

"_Nyahahaha!" _

The spirits of the First, the Second, and the Third Kazekage swirled around him, playfully giggling and poking his nonexistent body…

"_Like father—"_

"—_Like sons!"_

The Fourth Kazekage scowled.

"I hate these dead bastards."

…**--oOo--…**

Completely ignoring Kankurou's shameless sobbing, Temari noticed how very, _very _intact the workplace was.

"You haven't given him the message yet?"

"Huh? Message?"

A very important thing called a working brain returned to Kankurou.

"Oh, the message! So that's why I came here!"

For a moment, Baki considered actually attending therapy.

"You mean it took you two hours to relay a message?!" Temari pulled at her pineapple-colored hair.

The cloth on Kankurou's back sizzled from Gaara's murderous stare.

Kankurou shoved Temari forward facing Gaara and clung to her back, quivering from fear.

Shukaku or otherwise, Gaara was still Gaara. And any safety measures that are humanly possible to be exercised must be exercised.

Even if it means hanging on to your elder sister's back like a useless sissy.

For all he knew, Gaara might (would most likely) kill him in his sleep and blame it on Baki.

"…Eheheheh…?"

Again, the nervous laugh that can irritate anybody to death within earshot.

"I forget…?"

_Whap!_

One Kankurou was whacked on the back of the head with one very heavy fan and slumped flat on the office floor, unconscious.

Baki stepped out of the safety of the cactus and smirked. "Serves him right."

Gaara nodded. "Thank you very much, Temari."

"Anything for Sunagakure. (That guy's a serious threat to the village.)"

"Now then," Gaara began. "For the last two hours, our dear brother had interrupted my important work, made a coward out of Baki, irritated you, and drove a council elder mad. Do you mind telling me, _why_…(he was ever born?) he had done all that…?"

Baki sniffed. "I'd like to know (how he could be related to Yondaime Kazekage-sama) too. The idiot had practically burst into the room and screamed bloody murder…"

Temari's countenance fell grave. "We had received word from Hokage-sama…it took hours to decode, and it's personally marked for only you to read. Gaara… it think it's bad news."

Gaara's nonexistent eyebrows furrowed. "Where is the message?"

His sister's eyes fell on Kankurou. "I think he has it…somewhere…under his clothes…"

A look of utter disgust crossed all three's features.

"Well?"

Baki glared at Gaara. "Well, what?"

Gaara scowled. "Aren't you going to look for the message?"

"Me? Why should I do it?"

"Because I would kill you if you don't."

"You'd kill me anyway whether I do it or not, won't you…?"

"You're troublesome."

Temari rolled her eyes, deciding that her brother and a certain chuunin from Konoha were spending too much time together.

"I'll do it, I'll do it. Just…stop bickering."

"We are not bickering!" Gaara and Baki shot defensively at the same time.

The saying "Birds of a feather flock together" came to Temari's mind, only the word 'Birds' being replaced by the more derogatory 'Fools'.

"Start searching."

Temari's features scrunched up.

_Knock knock._

'Safe!' Temari triumphantly thought, thankful for the delay.

Two council members entered the office, the air around them commanding.

"Kazekage-sama, we're about to leave for Hoshigakure. Is your letter ready to be delivered?"

"Yes, yes, just give me a moment. Temari, the message. _Now._"

As his elder sister hesitantly fumbled for the decoded message under his clothes with the ultimate look of nausea, the unconscious Kankurou (giggled) gave out a manly chuckle.

"(Phhbbtt!)"

The councilors held straight faces (while they clutched their stomachs and their cheeks puffed out, trying to hold their own sniggers).

Temari's eye twitched.

Gaara's hand slapped his forehead.

Baki banged his head on the wall three times.

Now they know what keeps Sunagakure from progressing.

**"::-o…O…o-::"**

* * *

Poor Kankurou-chan…Oh well, he's got it coming to him anyway. I'm sure Gaara, (who spends too much time with his -future- brother-in-law), thinks so, too. 

Thanks for reading! Reviews will be appreciated.

It might be a few weeks before I update again. The reason…I'm going abroad. Yup, back to my homeland after three long years. Yay! (Oh the excitement!) But I promise to update, so please don't give up on this fic, ne?

Hope to see you all again next time! (' v ')/

_**::Aya:: **_

_**Next time:**_

The mission is in danger of failing…At least, that's what Shikamaru thinks. And there is something wrong with _this _Rock Lee…

_The kunai fell from Sakura's hand._

"_Not worth it? Kakashi-sensei, you mean…we're going to withdraw?"_

Plus! The number-one-greatest-shinobi-slash-future-Hokage (If he hadn't died.)-Uzumaki Naruto ('ttebayo!) makes a special appearance! _But who's this good-looking blond he's with?_ Find out!

**_'The Price of a Wish Granted'_**


	3. The Price Of A Wish Granted

**::Author's Note::**

Sorry for the long wait, minna-san. I just got back from vacation, and I've been lazy(er) since then. And I've been occupied with Friendster recently…(anyone wanna add me? Link is on my profile.) Anyway, I reread _**Stained Glass**_ just now and I realized…_It's so confusing_! (GAH!) I didn't put in enough details, the sentences are way too simple—I oughta slap myself…I apologize for all that.

**(TToTT) — (Disclaimer: I don't own **_**Naruto**_**. I do own Namikaze Minato, though. Oh wait, I don't. At least not in reality…:SOB:) **

**Before I forget--_Thanks to all my reviewers!_**

* * *

_**S t a i n e d G l a s s :** _

Whiter than Snow, Darker than Black

**-o…O…o-**

_Jagged, Colorful, Wicked…when shattered. _

_Handle it with care; the glass might just slip through your fingers…and cut__…_

**-o…O…o-**

**Chapter 3: 'The Price Of A Wish Granted'**

"All jokes aside," Kakashi casually intervened with the Shikamaru-teasing from Sakura, Neji, and from himself as well. "Hey, listen up. Sakura."

"Yes, sir." Sakura stopped cleaning her kunai, and sat up straight in attention.

"Neji, enough."

The Hyuuga cleared his throat. "Sorry."

"And Shikamaru…" Kakashi's face contorted in disgust at the lazy chuunin. "Get up."

Shikamaru dusted his clothes as he sat upright, but not before forcing himself to glare at Neji.

"Pay attention, team…" Kakashi's eye shifted to an uncharacteristically fidgeting Rock Lee. "Lee, _pay attention_."

Lee's head snapped up, cheeks tinted pink with embarrassment. "Y-yes, s-sir. I-I—S-sorry…"

Shikamaru, Sakura, and Neji exchanged questioning glances. Lee never tripped over his tongue.

Ever.

Kakashi himself cast a suspicious glance. Nevertheless, he resumed his statement.

"Tsunade-sama had entrusted us with this mission above all other shinobi. Neji. Lee. Shikamaru. We witnessed the conflict over this mission, over who gets assigned…in the end, we were chosen because Tsunade-sama believed that even though our chances were slim, we would be able to overcome the odds and the obstacles. But after much thought…this mission may not be worth it."

The kunai fell from Sakura's hand, her mouth agape. "Not worth it? Kakashi-sensei, you mean…we're going to withdraw?"

Neji looked down. "This is not an official mission; we are given the choice to withdraw if the stakes are too high. In fact, this was originally an assignment for ANBU…"

"You saw those people," Kakashi continued. "We came out alive, but that was just the beginning. We are not even in Rice Field Country yet…"

"We don't know what's ahead of us. But knowing that it's Orochimaru and Uchiha…" Neji's voice drifted off.

"Another thing," Kakashi interrupted. "It's either everyone goes or none at all. That's the condition. Everything depends on your motivation…" His eye shifted over to Shikamaru, who was lying down _again _with his eyes open, but with Shikamaru, _one may never know_… "If you have any at all."

Shikamaru peeked open an eye.

"Whether or not we proceed is not my decision," Kakashi continued, trying to refrain from glaring at Shikamaru. "We vote. Neji."

The Hyuuga nodded. "This mission is unreasonably risky…" Neji began. "Yet…it's Naruto's last wish. And Naruto…"

A quick flash of sorrow flashed in a pair of pale eyes.

"…Had set me free. He made me stronger," the Hyuuga genius scoffed bitterly. "And the idiot wasn't even aware of it."

The Copy Ninja nodded knowingly, the memory of his much-cherished former pupil flooding his mind. "So your verdict is?"

"I say we proceed."

Kakashi nodded. "Sakura."

"Kakashi-sensei, this mission has less than a one percent chance on succeeding," Sakura's voice remained stern as she clenched both fists. "But I'm willing to bet on it. After all," she smiled arrogantly. "A lifetime full of love bound with courage can conquer anything. Even him."

Kakashi frowned. "Sakura, your logic is undeniable when it comes to decisions like these…but when it comes to Naruto and Sasuke, you're as bad as Naruto. You do realize that you will most likely be dead by next week, don't you?"

"This encounter," Sakura's tone overflowed with determination, "is what I trained for years. This is what I have lived for. And I'm not going to back out, even if this mission kills me."

Kakashi paused in surprise, and then chuckled at his student's recklessness and at the same time at her unfounded confidence. "So you're willing to bet everything here, aren't you? Then I respect your decision. Lee, it's your turn."

No response came from Rock Lee, who was still uneasily fidgeting with his bandages.

"Lee."

Skepticism muddled his teammates. Lee _never_ fidgeted, neither does he ever zone out…

"_Lee_!"

"Ah—!" Lee lost his balance and fell down flat on his back. "S-sorry, Kakashi-sensei…"

Kakashi's brow furrowed. There was something wrong with _this_ Rock Lee…

Scrambling to sit up, Lee spoke with a hesitant voice. "Uhm…If it's alright with everyone…I…" He cleared his throat. "I'd like to continue…for N-Naruto-kun…"

The gray-haired shinobi raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Your reason?"

"Well…Naruto-kun…his last wish…um…I want to do it…for him…" Lee looked down, seemingly embarrassed.

And was that a tint of _pink _on his cheeks?

Kakashi paused for a moment, before nodding. "All right. Shikamaru, do you want to proceed?"

"No."

Nobody was surprised.

"Waaaiiittt…"

For a moment, Shikamaru considered the consequences of turning down the mission.

All those gory, bloody, painful consequences…oh damn.

"I changed my mind. We go."

Now _that, _was a shock.

Neji raised an eyebrow.

Sakura's mouth dropped a bit.

Rock Lee actually stopped fidgeting.

The Copy Nin was the first to speak. "Why?"

And then, the _sigh_… of a lifetime.

"My parents would nag me to death," Shikamaru explained jadedly.

"(Good point.) And?"

"Tsunade-sama would tear me into little pieces. (Then she'd glue me back together and make me patch up that damned office with Izumo and Kotetsu. hen she'd kill me again.) Everyone in Konoha'd kill me. Hell, even if I run away to Sunagakure with…"

He caught his tongue before he mentioned anything that wasn't supposed to be mentioned.

But then again, everybody knew what he almost mentioned that wasn't supposed to be mentioned.

Overcoming the initial shock, Neji tried to resist…

…But come on.

This is Shikamaru we're talking about.

"With…a certain _lady_ wind-wielding jounin?"

Kakashi groaned inwardly. How the composed, self-disciplined, stoic Hyuuga Neji had transformed into a…well, into _that, _he didn't know. But he'd be damned…

"Shut up," retorted Shikamaru.

"We all know who she is," Neji sneered.

"Fine! (You troublesome bastard.)" Shikamaru scowled. "Even if I run away to Sunagakure with…with _Temari_, Gaara'd murder me. Along with everybody else who knew Naruto. (Then I won't be able to take a nap anymore.) Hmph…Happy now?"

"Sounds reasonable," Kakashi agreed. "Even though…"

"I know, I know," Shikamaru waved his hand in a perish-the-thought kind of way. "Stop picking on me already. It's not a tradition, you know."

"I wasn't going to pick on you. (You should know better than that.)" crrected Kakashi. "Anyway, we have two hours to rest—"

"_Yes!" _Shikamaru jumped for joy, his fists shaking in…ecstasy?

And—oh! Are those tears in his eyes?

Kakashi cleared his throat, mildly insulted by Shikamaru's rude interruption. As an highly regarded shinobi, he had every right to be.

"We would have to take turns on standing guard in twenty-four minute shifts. I'll go first…"

Everybody laid out his sleeping bag, eager to welcome the long-yearned bliss of sleep.

Shikamaru actually _smiled_.

Under his mask, Kakashi's face contorted into what looked eerily similar to a smirk.

Oh, this would be fun.

The Copy Nin wished he brought a camera, but it wouldn't matter, this would be enough...

"Wake you up after twenty-four minutes, Shikamaru."

"…Damn it."

Kakashi giggled to himself.

That look on Shikamaru's face was absolutely _priceless_.

Yondaime-sama would be so proud.

…**--oOo--…**

Uncanny silence filled the office as Gaara finished reading the message from Konoha with shocked eyes. The scroll slid off his quivering hands and onto the cold, hard floor.

Baki gestured at the two council members, and they left the office obediently.

Temari's brow furrowed. "What does it say, Gaara?"

Without a single word, Godaime Kazekage slammed his fists on the desk, resulting in a sizable crack in the wood.

"He's dead."

"What?" Temari exclaimed.

"Who's dead?" Baki pressed.

"What happened?" asked Kankurou, now wide-awake from the _bang_ that Gaara's fists created.

"Naruto. Naruto's dead."

Kankurou immediately regretted asking that question.

Baki's jaw dropped, having known very well what the Kyuubi boy meant to Gaara. "I don't believe it."

Temari dropped to her knees and reached for the scroll under the desk, hoping to the heavens that her brother had read wrong…

The scroll crumpled in her fist. "It's true. It's all true…The Uchiha killed him…"

Pushing herself up from the floor, Temari glanced at her youngest brother in concern. Gaara's hands were curled up in tightly clenched fists, his dirty red hair effectively hiding a pair of dark-ringed eyes…

"Temari."

Turning her head to Baki's call, she was surprised to see him and Kankurou waiting for her at the door, before coming to realization…

"Let's give Kazekage-sama some time alone."

Temari nodded, fighting back the tears that threatened to flow, before casting a last glance of worry at Gaara.

"Let's go, Temari."

It was Kankurou's request this time, and Temari joined them and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

But not before she heard a cracked sob from Gaara's throat.

What's going to happen to him now? That Uzumaki Naruto boy had saved his life, in more ways than one. He had been Gaara's light, his motivation, his inspiration. Gaara would've never been Kazekage if it weren't for that boy. In fact…

Gaara wouldn't be anything_, anything but the bloodthirsty demon that lived for the death of others and the sight of spilt blood…_

'Gaara…what are you going to do…?'

…**--oOo--…**

Shikamaru slapped himself in the face.

"Ouch."

He didn't know which was harder – being shook the sleep (and the hell) out of him by Kakashi just when he had drifted into sleep, or staying up for twenty-four, endless, tormenting minutes in the unforgiving midnight cold…

That was just cruel, he thought.

'Kakashi really hates me, Asuma…'

After Naruto's death, everyone had degraded into scary, irrational tyrants (Sakura), jittery, edgy maniacs (Rock Lee), big-mouthed, arrogant jerks (Neji), and inhumane, merciless alarm clocks (Kakashi).

"Damn that bastard Sasuke. It's all his fault. (I hope that Orochimaru eats him alive.)"

Wait…

"Damn that bastard Itachi. It's all his fault. (I hope that Fish-freak eats him alive.)"

That's better.

…**--oOo--…**

Far away in the realm of the dead…

"Wha-wha-wha-WHAT?!?!?!?!"

A certain blond, ramen-obsessed, somewhat stupid shinobi stuttered and stumbled in front of the revered Yondaime Hokage.

"You're my father?! The _Fourth Hokage_ is my _father_?!?!"

His father smiled. "Nice to finally meet you, too, my son."

Naruto fell silent.

"What's the problem, Naruto?"

"You…"

Naruto sniffed.

"You called me your son…"

**-o…O…o-

* * *

**

Yes! It's Naruto-kun!!!! Aw00t! We'll see more of him _and_ his much-loved father (KYAAAHH!!) next chapter, so here's a preview…

**::Aya::**

_**Next Chapter:**_

**He's baaacck…!**

_**Now that his son was with him, for Yondaime Hokage, this…**_

"_I wonder if they have ramen here…"_

**…_Is heaven._**

…**but he's not the only one…!**

"_Get off my leg, Kotetsu. (If I killed you now I'd have to do your share of the work.)"_

_And with that, Izumo kicked Kotetsu._

**(And what happened to Rock Lee?)**

'_**O-hisashiburi Desu Ne, Uzumaki-san. (We Missed You.)'**_


	4. Isasshiburi 'ssu ne, Uzumakisan

**.:Author's Note:.**

First of all, I haven't dropped by lately, and I was rather surprised at the new features here at Fanfiction. I just wanted to point out that I don't know how to use any of them. If one of you could be kind enough to tell me how exactly DocX works (and why all my paragraphs are squashed together while you're at it), that would be a great help. Thank you.

I'm sorry for taking such a long time to update. Hm, is anybody reading this fanfic anyway? I haven't done any decent amount of writing lately, but for the (nonexistent) few who _do _read this fanfic and wish to see some more of it, please leave a review, and this humble authoress will do her best to update.

To make it up to you this time, this certain chapter is quite long, so please stay with me til the end.

_Oh yes, before I forget, I've been frequenting Friendster lately, and if any of you fellow readers/authors are interested, the link's on my profile. Drop me a comment, read my blog, or even add me as a friend. It's quite a colorful site, don't you think?_

**(I'm so lazy.)** If you read my other current fanfic _**Coffee for the Captain **_for **Last Exile** (and you most likely aren't), you'll know what I'm talking about.

Thank you, and to everyone who _did_ review, the thanks go out in twice the size.

**(TToTT) —(Disclaimer: **Tobi is miiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnneeeeeeeeee!! **(Ja nai.)** I don't own **Friendster** either.**)**

* * *

_**S t a i n e d G l a s s :**_

**Whiter than Snow, Darker than Black**

**-o…O…o-**

_Jagged, Colorful, Wicked…when shattered. _

_Handle it with care; the glass might just slip through your fingers…and cut…_

**-o…O…o-**

**Chapter 4: 'O-hisashiburi Desu Ne, Uzumaki-san. (We Missed You.)'**

A certain 'beautiful green beast' of Konoha (cough), sighed wearily as he set down yet another bucket of cement. He had been through the toughest of toughest training, but this…this is torture!

Not that he should be complaining.

"Uhhh…" Kotetsu groaned as he half-threw, half-dropped the bucket of cement with a thud and collapsed onto the floor.

Izumo thought of catching his partner (like he normally would), but the heck with it.

Yes, Izumo and Kotetsu were _still_ putting back together the Hokage's office, nonstop for hours and hours and hours…

"Let me die now, Izumo…Kill me now, I beg you…" Kotetsu moaned and clutched his partner's leg dramatically.

It didn't help that Hokage-sama tore down the whole thing in the middle of the repair work every three hours or so.

"Get off my leg, Kotetsu. (If I killed you now I'd have to do your share of the work.)"

And with that, Izumo kicked Kotetsu.

He really shouldn't be complaining.

Said 'beautiful green beast' (coughcough) wiped the beads of sweat that rolled down his (inhumanly thick) eyebrows and stood back a couple of steps, admiring his work.

Admiring the 100 concrete wall that he, over the past ten hours, had so lovingly and vigorously created (and recreated, whenever Tsunade destroys it at whim).

"Hokage-sama, I'm done!"

Tsunade looked up from the scroll on the (repaired) office desk. "Good. You can help Kotetsu now."

"Yes, ma'am! Come on, Kotetsu-san, let's get to work."

Izumo watched with exasperation as the 'green beast' tried to pry Kotetsu away from his leg. With a strong yank from the 'green beast' and another kick from Izumo, the human barnacle finally let go and groaned the groan of a lifetime as he and the 'green beast' snatched the bucket of cement and started smearing the grey paste on the cratered wall.

"I wanna go out and work on real missions as a shinobi… (I don't wanna work as a slave anymore…)" complained Kotetsu.

Izumo sighed. First Shikamaru, and then Kotetsu. Those two idiots single-handedly annihilated the pride and the honor and the dignity that came along with being a chuunin.

The reputation of Konoha was as good as damned.

…**--oOo--…**

A grin of sheer giddiness slowly wove itself through the shadow manipulator's face as he fantasized about…

(Well we all know who, don't we?)

_Snap!_

The crunch of a broken twig zapped Shikamaru out of his reverie. He stood up from his very comfortable lying position on a high tree branch near the edge of a cliff and surveyed his surroundings.

The night sky with its numerous stars…the thick forest and its relaxing scent…the crackling fire with its bright, proud flames…the noise of the crickets…

Nothing out of the ordinary.

"Hn. Must be a squirrel."

Several meters away in a clearing, his teammates peacefully dozed off near the warmth of the crackling fire, surrounded by the protection of the forest, their faces filled with serenity…

They were mocking him.

His stomach churned with envy as he watched his teammates passionately enjoying what he was so cruelly deprived of…

… Kakashi snoring…

Shikamaru stuck his tongue out. _'Yeah, snore your head off, you sadistic freak.'_

…Sakura groaning in her sleep as Rock Lee curled up against her…

Shikamaru raised his eyebrow. _'I should try that, sometime…'_

…And…

"Wait a second."

…Where's Neji?

_Crunch._

"Where on earth could that jerk be wandering off—"

_Snap!_

"_Shikamaru_!"

"Gwah!"

Shikamaru noted that it was very difficult to glare at Neji while dangling from a tree branch.

"What the hell do you think you're doing hanging from a tree branch? You're (disgraceful) supposed to be watching out."

"Well, _excuse me_ for being startled by your stupid voice and slipping," Shikamaru shot back as he channeled chakra to his feet and dropped in front of the pale-eyed jounin, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "And what the hell do you think you're doing coming out of nowhere and sneaking up on me?"

Neji scowled at the accusation. If there's one thing Hyuuga Neji isn't—there's _only _one thing Hyuuga Neji isn't—it's a coward who-who _sneaks up _on people.

Besides, if ever five of the seven hells froze over and he _did _sneak up on somebody, he certainly wouldn't sneak up on an idiot like Shikamaru.

(To put it simply, He's. Not. Worth. It.)

"I _was not_ sneaking up on you. I came here to talk."

Boosting his glare to full throttle, Shikamaru leaned in to threaten Neji.

"If you told me that you woke up at this ungodly hour just to pick on me or point out that I'm a disgrace to Konoha, I'd murder you."

Neji stepped back at Shikamaru's very I-mean-business tone, forgetting that the chuunin in front of him is a lazy-ass idiot who's too slothful to even talk back to an insult.

But Neji being Neji, who is a _genius _(COUGH!), he remembered.

He was tempted to actually declare, "Yes, I woke up at this ungodly hour just to pick on you _and _tell you that you're a disgrace to Konoha" and see if Shikamaru moves even a muscle.

But he resisted this time.

"That's not what I came here for. I came to talk to you."

Cool, calm, and composed.

_Neji_ was back.

And Shikamaru, sensing that the staid, humorless, dignified (and boring) Hyuuga had returned, sighed and perched on a protruding tree root facing the edge of the cliff, the majestic, unhindered view of the virgin forest below and the magnificent night sky above within sight.

There go his fantasies.

"What did you want to talk about?"

Neji sat down beside Shikamaru, not taking the time to admire the scenery. "I'm not convinced that you really want to continue with the mission."

"Me neither. You came here just to tell me that?"

Ignoring Shikamaru's last remark, Neji shook his head. "Without the motivation, this mission will fail."

"I already know that. And I told you what my reason is already. If I back out, I get killed. If I run away, I get killed. If I go on with the mission, there's a pretty good chance that I'd get killed, too. But that one percent is my only hope, you know."

"Do you think this mission is worth the risk?"

"No."

The Hyuuga leaned back against the sturdy tree trunk and gazed at the twinkling stars. "That's why you hesitated."

"I know I faltered, okay!" Shikamaru burst out. He pinched his eyes shut and buried his face in his hands, his elbows propped up on his knees. "I don't think I can do this…This mission. It's those things…those monsters that afternoon…they were horrible…I don't know, I don't want to say I'm scared of them but…"

"I was scared, at first," admitted Neji. "I'm sure everyone else was, too. That's probably what drove us to defeat them. I had a hard time just looking at my opponents…Why do you think I was spinning around the whole time?"

He chuckled.

Shikamaru huffed. "Who knew that the great genius of the Hyuuga clan would twirl around for hours just so he can't see his opponents?" He then smiled dryly. "And who knew that the great genius of the Hyuuga clan would wake up at this unthinkable hour just so he can console a pathetic loser like me?"

"…Pathetic, huh?" Neji said to no one in particular.

"I'm a _failure_, Neji," Shikamaru answered, emphasizing the word 'failure'. "I faltered on a mission and I was too weak to defend myself from that…that _thing._ Like you said, I have no right to be a shinobi. I'm a failure—"

"You're a genius, aren't you?"

"A smart failure, then."

"You can rise above that."

Shikamaru looked at Neji as if he were insane. "Since when have you been so optimistic? Once a failure, always a failure."

"_Force this through your thick skull, Naruto: Once a dropout, always a dropout."_

Neji blinked. "Remember the chuunin exams, two years ago? The first match, when I lost against Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

The Hyuuga nudged Shikamaru with his elbow. "You were sleeping then, weren't you?"

The shadow manipulator leaned against the trunk of the tree beside Neji. "Three-sixty degree vision. Wow. You saw me on that balcony while you were fighting with Naruto, huh? How'd you know I was sleeping? I was pretty sure my eyes were open…"

'He can sleep with his eyes open at will?' Neji coughed as he realized that he had strayed from the topic. Shikamaru just doesn't get his point.

"Where are you driving at, anyway? (Don't cough your germs at me.)"

"Forget it," Neji propped his elbow on his knee and covered his face with his hand, hiding his amused face. If a ridiculous thing such as a dense genius existed, he was looking straight at him.

"Then what was all that talk about fighting with Naruto? What's your point?" Shikamaru asked perplexedly.

Neji smiled. _'It's my turn now…Naruto, this is for you._'

The sparkle on Neji's eyes took Shikamaru by surprise.

"Take Naruto as an example," Neji began.

'_Naruto…Watch me.'_

"He overcame that hurdle, didn't he?"

Shikamaru's eyes widened.

"If a sap like him could do it," Neji explained, "how much more if a genius like you would give it a try…?"

…**--oOo--…**

"…_Take Naruto as an example."_

"Huh?" Naruto's face scrunched up, puzzled. "Was that Neji's voice? Is he dead, too? Did Sakura-chan hit him _that _hard?"

The late Namikaze Minato chuckled as he tossed another stone and made it skip on the water.

He and his son sat on a boulder overlooking a river, their surroundings that of nature at the height of springtime. Birds twittered sweetly above them, while frogs croaked on that beautiful morning, with that sky on which the puffy white clouds hanged ever so blue…

Now that his son was with him, for Yondaime Hokage, this…

"I wonder if they have ramen here…"

…Is _heaven_.

Oh, pure, wonderful bliss.

_Splash!_

"No, no, he's alive, Naruto. Being able to hear the living's voice just shows how much he remembers you…" Minato mused. "You must have made a huge impact in Hyuuga-kun's life. Even I can hear him…"

_Splash!_

Water splattered as Naruto tossed stones on the river. "Oh, so Kakashi-sensei's voice from earlier…"

_Splash!_

"Was a voice full of regret." Minato finished for his son, and smiled fondly at the memory of his student, glancing to the sky.

The splashing stopped.

Naruto frowned, his eyes downcast. His fingers traced the smooth outline of the stone in his hand thoughtfully. "Kakashi-sensei…I want to see them, too…"

Minato's face melted understandingly at his son's regret. "Then close your eyes."

Naruto's ears perked up, his big baby-blue eyes sparkling.

"Huh—What?! You mean not only can I hear them, I can see them too?"

Minato patted his son's head affectionately. "Their emotions are strong enough to reach you in more ways than one…"

"S-So h-how-how can we do it? How can we see them? Do we just close our eyes?"

The eager eyes that looked up to him put a smile on Minato's face.

"That simple, yes. All you have to do is close your eyes and focus on their voices…and on the warmth of their words…"

"_He overcame that hurdle with his fiery fighting spirit didn't he?"_

"Do you hear it, Naruto?"

"Yeah, I heard it! Neji said I had powerful fighting spirit!"

'But more importantly…In their eyes, I see sorrow…'

Minato closed his eyes.

'…Do you hear their buried grief, Naruto, threatening to surface every time your name is mentioned…?'

…**--oOo--…**

"Baki," Gaara called out. "Make sure these letters get delivered to Hoshigakure."

Baki nodded. Two hours had passed since they received the tragic news. The Kazekage had summoned him, Temari, and Kankurou to the office and announced that he would be leaving for Konoha to visit Naruto's grave. Gaara's tearstained cheeks did not go unnoticed, (but nobody really wanted to die so nobody pointed it out and rubbed it in his face).

"Yes, my lord. Leave them to me. I'll watch over the village while you're away…I know," the jounin paused, "how important the boy was to you."

Gaara nodded. "Temari. Kankurou."

Kankurou shifted his backpack from one shoulder to the other. "We're ready—"

_Bam!_

"Gaara-sama!" Matsuri burst into the room, panting. "Gaara-sama, you're going away again?"

"Matsuri!" growled Baki, his eyes bulging out at the genin's rudeness. "Show some respect!"

Baki's booming voice startled the girl, who bowed meekly. "Forgive me."

"Matsuri," Gaara spoke bluntly. "We're going to visit Naruto's grave in Konohagakure. We'll be back in a day's time."

Matsuri's eyes widened. "N-Naruto-san's grave? What do you mean…?"

"He died," Kankurou answered.

"What?" Matsuri's voice quivered, refusing to believe the charismatic genin from Konohagakure gone. "When? Why? Ho—"

"Matsuri," Temari interrupted calmly. "We'll leave the village to you. Don't let your guard down, alright?"

The girl paused, before nodding. "Yes, Temari-san."

"Well then," Kankurou stepped out on the balcony, the desert wind pushing his black hood against his painted face. "We're off."

And then they vanished.

"Take care, Gaara-sama," Matsuri whispered.

She and Baki stood there in silence for a minute, before Baki sighed. "Don't you have to study medical ninjutsu today?"

Matsuri cast her gaze to the floor, embarrassed. "Yes, but…I wanted to see Gaara-sama off…" She fidgeted with her hair. "Uhm, I better get going now. Please excuse me…!" She ran out the door with a blush on her face.

Baki raised an eyebrow at this. "Well I'll be damned…"

He never foresaw the day that any creature, much less a human being, would ever have a crush on Gaara.

On _Gaara_, for crying out loud!

Chuckling at irony, he absentmindedly collected the numerous scrolls on Godaime Kazekage's desk. In his stupor, he failed to realize that the ink on one of the scrolls has not yet dried and he gathered it into his arms…

"Oh, damn it, I just washed this!"

…effectively staining his very clean, very _white_ robe.

Cursing to himself, the jounin picked up the offending scroll from where he had dropped it.

"What the hell?"

Now he knew that reading a personal letter was a serious crime, but Baki wasn't exactly a role model when it came to following rules.

(He had blatantly broken treaties and triggered a catastrophic war, hadn't he?)

Ignoring the evil ink smudges on his clothes, like a nosy housewife…

"Whoops!"

The scroll 'accidentally' slipped out of his grasp and rolled to the floor, its contents exposed for (nosy housewives such as) Baki to read to their hearts' content…

"Clumsy me. I _accidentally_ dropped the scroll and it opened all by itself…"

Baki glanced around.

Clear!

As casually as possible for him (which is not casual at all), Baki took a ridiculously long glimpse at Gaara's scribbling…

_Hoshikage-sama,_

_How are matters in the village? I (will see to it) hope that everything is (working to your demise) fine over there (in your dilapidated homeland). I (despise) thank you for (dragging) inviting several jounin and me to your (ramshackle) palace last week. We are very (annoyed) grateful for the (boring) scenic tour and the (sickening) lovely picnic you had (pathetically) prepared for us. We are very (disgusted) honored to have (been forced to visit) visited a (hideous) picturesque land such as Hoshigakure. _

_Even so, I (happily) regretfully decline your most recent invitation, as Kankurou, Temari, and I are currently busy with the reconstruction matters here in Sunagakure. (I thank the blond, one-armed Akatsuki person who kidnapped me for providing a very useful excuse.)_

_I hope to do business with Hoshigakure again in the near future, (undoubtedly) hopefully to (invade) vacation in your (vulnerable) picturesque land._

_(Mwahaha.)_

_I wish you (die a miserably painful death as soon as possible) good health._

_Sincerely (cough),_

_Sabaku no Gaara, _

_Godaime Kazekage_

_P.S._

_The next time you make eyes at my sister is the time when I personally shall prepare a beautiful sand coffin for you, public or otherwise, (you damn pervert)._

As he tore his eyes away from the letter,Baki's face contorted into the ultimate grinning masterpiece.

"(That Gaara's really a schizo. But who cares!) All right, a war! That's what I wanted to see!"

…**--oOo--…**

"_Yeah, that Naruto's one hell of a shinobi."_

"Oh?" Minato raised an eyebrow, amused. "It seems like my son is a highly regarded shinobi…"

"Of course I am!" Naruto beamed proudly. "Who do you think I am? I'm the number-one-greatest-shinobi-slash-future-Hokage (If I hadn't died.)-Uzumaki Naruto ('ttebayo)!"

"_If a scatterbrained dropout like him can do it, how much more if a genius like you…"_

Naruto sneezed.

"W-w-wait a minute… You just said I had fighting spirit…"

"_You're right…if a half-witted simpleton like him…"_

"IYAACHUU—! O-Oi! Shikamaru! Stop talking behind my dead back!"

A stifled snort escaped Minato's mouth.

"Oh, no, Dad, not you too—I'll get you both for this!"

Naruto was too occupied with hurling temper tantrums and expletives at the voices, that he didn't notice the late Hokage freeze in his spot.

_Dad…_

…**--oOo--…**

Back to the realm of the living…

"…If a half witted simpleton like him—Oof!"

Shikamaru was knocked down by a sudden gust of wind and fell flat on his face.

"Mwah duh _hell_…wush dat…? Pthoo!"

Shikamaru raised his head from the forest floor and spit out the dirt in his mouth.

"Really!" Neji huffed indignantly, "Only _you_ can fall off balance by a small breeze, you—"

_Whoosh!_

One unsuspecting firefly was swept by the wind and into—

"Lazy idio—Gack! Hagh…Haugh…!"

—Neji's mouth.

"Ble-ugh…Uck! Ke-ack!"

Neji wheezed and hacked and gasped, trying to cough out the insect he was choking on.

"Gyuughhh…Ahauck! Gkgkgkraugh! Blaauurrrrrgghhh…!"

Both geniuses never knew what hit them.

…**--oOo--…**

Back to the realm of the dead…

"Heheh! Who're you calling a simpleton now?" Naruto's lips formed his trademark cocky grin.

Minato beamed proudly.

"That's my boy!"

A few meters behind her husband and son, Uzumaki Kushina slapped her forehead.

…**--oOo--…**

"I wanna go hoooommmeeee…"

Izumo pinched his eyes shut in irritation and muttered curses to himself, trying to drown out what has got to be the most irksome, the most aggravating, the most maddeningly annoying voice in the whole history of maddeningly annoying voices.

He had managed to shut Kotetsu up with the ridiculous innuendo that he added to his threat, but four hours went, and there he goes again, whining and complaining and wailing his mouth off, getting on the nerves of everybody within earshot, Izumo's threat long forgotten.

His hand clenched the trowel tightly, quivering in annoyance, and for a moment he actually thought of hitting Kotetsu with the tool on the back of the head for being such a pain in the neck, and giving him a good, sturdy kick for good measure.

He would probably tie Kotetsu to a chair and sew his mouth shut while he's at it.

The Hokage and the rest of Konoha would surely thank him for it. Hey, he may be even promoted to jounin level!

But, he reminded himself, he would need Kotetsu if he wanted to get the job done within the month…

"I wanna eeeeeaaaattt…"

Izumo stopped the trowel in his hand, which apparently had a sharp edge, midway from plunging into any of his partner's vital organs and took ten, deep, calming breaths…

"Stop whining, Kotetsu, you're making me look bad," Izumo (begged) scolded. "Me and the boy and every living Konoha chuunin in the world."

(Hell, even the dead ones are turning over in their graves.)

"But Izumoooo-chaaaannn…" Kotetsu pouted, and Izumo's eye twitched.

Oh heavens, no, not the puppy eyes.

Not the hideous, sickening, repulsive puppy eyes.

Izumo itched to kick the ladder that held Kotetsu; his foot unconsciously picked itself up from its place on the ground and prepared to sweep the ladder of its metal feet…

…If it wasn't for the fact that there was still a lot of work to be done and he needed all the help he could get, even from Kotetsu, with all his grumbling and all his diminutive help.

On second thought…Kotetsu was just making the job worse with all his whining and all his complaining and all his griping and his damned puppy eyes and his damned drama…

Izumo's foot twitched.

Kotetsu gasped.

"Heheh—"

"Izumo-san, you and Kotetsu-san sure are close, aren't you?" 'The beast' interrupted.

Kotetsu sighed mentally in relief and thanked the heavens for the existence of this…green…jumpsuit-wearing…enthusiast.

If it weren't for him and his interruption, Kotetsu would already be lying on the floor, with broken bones, a trowel plunged into his heart, and a bucket of cement on his head.

"Huh?" Izumo set his foot down caught off guard by the sudden question. "Oh yeah, we're close."

"I heard that you live together. Are you relatives?"

The room fell into silence.

Kotetsu and Izumo blinked at each other, unsure of whether or not to enlighten this obviously innocent, naïve young lad with the ways of the world…

Apparently, this 'beautiful green beast' (coughcoughcough) was 'green' in more ways than one.

'Tsunade-sama! Help!' Both older chuunin sent pleading looks to the amused Godaime, who had the _smuggest_ of the smuggest grin a human could ever express plastered on her face.

Ohh, how they hated her at that moment.

Meanwhile, Tsunade leered at their predicament.

Could Naruto have seen those looks on their faces!

'_He would be so proud…'_

Despite how pathetic Izumo and Kotetsu appeared at the moment, the Hokage understood their plea. Wiping the smirk from her face, Tsunade addressed the 'green' boy with a tone more commanding than usual.

"Hey, get back to work. You too, Izumo. And Kotetsu…" Her face contorted. "Get that cement off your hair before it hardens and you have to shave it off. (You look bad enough with those spikes; I don't wanna know how you look without them.)"

"Yes, sir—I mean ma'am!" Kotetsu gulped and flinched, waiting for a punch or a threat or even a glare, but fortunately (unfortunately, in Izumo's case), it didn't come.

Izumo sighed once again. Kotetsu was still a pain in the neck, but at least they got out of that pinch.

"Well, Izumo-san, it's time to work again. Let's give it our best!" the 'green-beast' raised his fist determinedly. Then he lowered his voice. "And hope that Hokage-sama doesn't destroy the place again (so we could go home by the end of the month)…"

"Get to work!" the Hokage's voice exploded in the air and reverberated in their heads, almost knocking them off balance.

"Anou…Tsunade-sama, don't you think that's…a bit too much?" Izumo asked. "This is his first time…and we've been working around the clock…"

He felt sorry for the boy; he wasn't ready for this kind of suffering.

(Kotetsu deserved it, though.)

"Too much? That's his punishment for disobeying my orders."

Tsunade tipped her head towards the jumpsuit-clothed maniac.

"Isn't that right, Rock Lee?"

**-o…O…o-**

* * *

Izumo and Kotetsu (-chan) are _baaaacccckkkk and __**kicking**_ (_**down the reputation of Konoha**_)!! Isn't Tsunade-sama scary? Isn't Baki homo? Isn't Gaara such a schizo? Isn't Minato-san simply charming? (Ahh, bishounen.)

Leave a review, 'cause reviews are an important source of energy. (Where do I get this from?)

**.:Ayame Harushino:.**

_**Next Chapter:**_

**You don't always have to be brilliant to be a genius.**

"_If a dropout like Naruto can earn your respect, then I figured, I can take a crack at it, too, you know…to earn your respect."_

**Sometimes, a brilliant heart is all it takes.**

'_**A Brilliant Mind x A Brilliant Heart. Genius.'**_


	5. A Brilliant Mind x A Brilliant Heart ?

**.:Author's Note:.**

So yeah, I'll just cut the talk and get to the story. :sigh: Nobody reads this anyway. :sniff:

Thanks to all my reviewers! Or what's left of them… (Are you guys still alive??)

**(Disclaimer: **I do not own _**Naruto.**_ But I guess you'd think I do 'coz you don't read the disclaimer, anyway.**)**

* * *

_**S t a i n e d G l a s s :** _

Whiter than Snow, Darker than Black

_Jagged, Colorful, Wicked…when shattered. _

_Handle it with care; the glass might just slip through your fingers…and cut…_

**-o…O…o-**

**Chapter 5: 'A Brilliant Mind x A Brilliant Heart. Genius.'**

"I better get going now…" Neji stood up from his seat beside the lazy chuunin. "I have to make the most of what little time we have to rest," he added with a knowing smirk.

Shikamaru scoffed as he fumbled in his pocket. "Hn! I know what you mean. Naruto had it rough. Kakashi's cruel. I think he hates me."

"Of course he does. Who doesn't?"

"Wha—" Shikamaru paused mid-sentence. "Guess I deserved that."

"You did."

_Chik!_

Neji's eyes widened at the sound behind him. "Oi, what are you—"

_Fuuuu…_

The pale-eyed jounin coughed at the fume that invaded his nostrils.

"Smoke?" Neji squinted his watering eyes and waved away the smoke in the air. "Since when did you start smoking?"

The shadow-manipulator took another drag of his cigarette. "Since Asuma died."

Neji frowned. "I know that's sentimental, but…" He coughed. "Smoking—" He coughed again. "That's bad for you."

Shikamaru coughed.

"See?" said Neji.

"Thanks for your concern, I appreciate it, really. So what if I shorten my already short lifespan a little; I'm gonna get killed on this mission, anyway, right?" Shikamaru replied, waving his hand with the cigarette between his fingers. "Besides, Temari's okay with it."

Neji nodded, a devilish smirk on his pale countenance. "Of course. Temari-san is 'okay with it'."

"Neji," Shikamaru interrupted in a serious tone (before Neji goes all female on him again). "About what you said…I'll think about it."

Neji raised an eyebrow.

"If," continued the Nara descendant, "If a dropout like Naruto can earn your respect, then I figured, I can take a crack at it, too, you know…to earn your respect."

Despite the smoke, Neji faced Shikamaru, disbelief etched in his pale features.

"Shikamaru—"

"Wait, I'm not done yet," Shikamaru took a deep breath. "I've thought about this, and…I figured that this kind of mission comes once in a lifetime, and that…this mission is worth a shot."

Pale eyes softened as the night breeze tossed long auburn locks into the air. "Shikamaru…"

Shikamaru smiled cockily, the cigarette glowing in his mouth.

"I'll give it all I got."

An unfamiliar emotion filled Neji, but caught himself and regained his composure before he could embrace the changed chuunin in front of him. "Well, then…I'm glad you made up your mind…" Closing his eyes to assume his stoic self, the jounin tipped his head formally. "In that case, I bid you good night."

Emotions well hid, he spun and walked back to camp.

"Oi, Neji…"

Neji stopped, not turning to face the shadow-manipulating chuunin.

"Thanks."

Neji walked on, dead leaves crackling under his heels.

Taking a good, long gaze at the beautiful night sky and its countless twinkling stars, the Hyuuga genius returned to camp with a satisfied smile on his face.

_Fuuuu…_

Shikamaru took another drag.

_No doubts. No hesitations._

Smoke streamed from his mouth and tinged the air.

_No fear._

…**--oOo--…**

A certain young man of the formerly distinguished clan of Uchiha scowled in disgust as the gigantic serpent in front of him melted away, groaning and wheezing and hacking to its death…

"Rot in Hell, Orochimaru."

His farewell uttered, Uchiha Sasuke turned and walked past a speechless Kabuto, heading to the darkest of the darkest rooms of the caverns to free the first member of the Hebi team…

Houzuki Suigetsu.

…**--oOo--…**

_Squawk! Squawk!_

"Uuhhh…" Neji groaned. "What on earth…?"

Mentally cursing the boisterous bird that flew overhead, Neji rolled to his side and tried to drift back to sleep, trying not to bemoan the very few minutes of sleep Kakashi had bestowed him.

Kakashi…that cruel, sadistic man.

'Oh that's fantastic,' the Hyuuga sneered sardonically, 'Now I think I understand Shikamaru. The next thing I know, I'll be smoking and playing Shogi half-asleep.'

What the hell?

The main reason why Neji didn't like his sleep interrupted was because he hated it when he thought too much. When he thought too much, things get…weird. He would see things through rainbow-colored glasses, and things would start not making sense. Like why Kakashi was gone in the middle of the night. Or why Lee wasn't curling up to Sakura like he did primarily because Lee and Sakura weren't there to begin with. Or how Shikamaru ever became chuunin. Or how birds fly—

Neji stopped thinking.

'Kakashi's gone,' he noted as sat up and looked around him, 'as well as Lee…and Sakura…'

His pale eyes fell on Shikamaru.

The sleeping chuunin lay on his back, a soft snore rumbling from his throat, with the perfect expression of sheer bliss etched on his features and…

(Was that a smile on his face?)

Neji almost hated to wake him up. _Almost._

"Shikamaru."

He prodded the chuunin with a stick he found lying nearby.

"Hn…" the Nara groaned and turned to his side, still snoring.

"Shikamaru!"

Neji shook _the hell _out of the chuunin.

"Mmmhh…" A naughty smile wove through Shikamaru's face. "Not now, baby, I'm still dreamin' about you…"

Neji's eye twitched.

He was getting _so sick _of being mistaken by his teammates for somebody else. It all started with Sakura's nightmare, when he was mistaken for an egotistical bastard (coughSASUKEcough), but it wasn't Sakura or the bastard whom he was irritated with right now…

'Of all people, a girl!' Neji's mind screamed. 'I was mistaken for a…_girl!'_

And, to make matters worse, while Neji argued to himself about his gender, Shikamaru went so far as to _address_ the Jyuken master as…

"C'mon, Temari baby, let's go back to sleep…"

Shikamaru, you stupid, stupid, _stupid _idiot.

"_Shikamaru!"_

_Whack!_

One stupid genius shot up in surprise, scrambling hysterically in a horrible mess as if he were being chased by—

"Gaara—! We didn't do anything, I swear! Get your sand away from—_what the hell where's Temari?_"

"Ah, you're awake," Neji smiled sweetly.

"What did you do to Temari?!" demanded Shikamaru, delirious from a very, very delightful, (and hopefully unperverted) dream he had.

"Oh? Whatever are you talking about?" A vein throbbed in the Hyuuga's temples.

"I'm askin' where you hid my woman, you b—"

_Whack!_

Shikamaru concluded that it was very, very dangerous to sleep talk around Neji, especially when there are a bunch of big, bloodthirsty sticks lying around, waiting to murder him.

(Whatever happened to the sensitive geniuses in the beginning of the chapter?)

"Things that should be said in sleep should be said while sleeping."

(Translation: Sleep talk only while you're sleeping.)

"Awake, now?" Neji's countenance returned to his trademark no-nonsense expression.

"I don't know, ask that sadistic club of yours," Shikamaru spat back, wiping the saliva of his face with his sleeve. "You shouldn't go around playing with dangerous things like that. You could've killed me with that murderous stick…"

That's the point, Shikamaru. That's the point.

"And why the hell did you do that? Come on, I just got back to sleep. Man, and just when my dream was getting good, too, you troublesome bastard..."

(This is the part where we wonder how Shikamaru became a shinobi.)

"Everybody's gone," Neji interrupted Shikamaru's whining.

"Good." Shikamaru plopped back to his sleeping bag.

Shikamaru had been shortening Neji's lifespan by the decade, and the Hyuuga genius refused to kick the bucket without giving the good-for-nothing chuunin a good, long, (threat) talking-to. "Listen, you…"

"_Iiyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"_

Neji started at the shrill scream that pierced the air. He flung the blanket off and wiggled out of his black sleeping bag, his chocolate-colored hair unbound and flowing, and tried to recall what direction Sakura's voice came from.

"Oh shut up, I'm tryin' to sleep here!"

Neji glared at Shikamaru. "Didn't you hear Sakura scream?"

Shikamaru shot back his glare. "Didn't you hear me try to shut her up?"

Neji frowned. "Get up."

"No, I wanna go back to sleep (and dream about…)"

"(I know, I know, dream about your girlfriend. But,) Sakura might be in trouble."

"What time is it?"

"Two in the morning."

"I don't care, then."

"She's your teammate."

"Not in two in the morning, she isn't."

"I'll tell everybody what your dream was about."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Wouldn't I?"

Shikamaru scowled, his eyebrows colliding as he ripped his very comfortable blanket off of his body. "Fine! Let's go get this troublesome…_woman!_"

In the blink of an eye, they disappeared, leaves, blankets, ashes sent flying.

"Sakura would been dead by the time we get there, thanks to you and your dirty fantasies," Neji scolded as they sailed through the air and through the leaves of the forest, enjoying the fresh air blowing across his face.

"…I hope so."

"Don't be so cold."

"Hn! Look who's—"

Shikamaru froze mid-sentence as he spotted, in a clearing, something grey, pink, and gree—no, wait, it wasn't green…

Gaping at the unanticipated sight, chuunin and jounin landed beside Kakashi, Sakura, and—

Shikamaru gulped. "Hi…"

Neji sighed. He had foreseen this.

"I told you not to come, Hinata-sama."

**-o…O…o-**

* * *

Like it? No? Let me know. A little feedback would be nice every now and then, wouldn't it?

No previews for now, since I haven't finished writing the next chapter, so it'll probably be a long time before my nonexistent readers set eyes on Chapter 6, **—**_**where an unrequited love for a dead shinobi and the "truth" about Kotetsu and Izumo are revealed…!!**_

**.:Ayame Harushino:.**


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